but she survived | sae-byeok x ji-yeong

in the middle of the night, pride is not important

(Trigger warning: suicide by hanging!) 

Suddenly, she was there again. A gun to her temple, Sae-byeok's back turned against her and Ji-yeong's whole body a trembling mess. But this time there was no mercy. No luck. Only a loud bang-

Ji-yeong sat up quickly, still feeling a faint ringing in her ears. She looked around to see everyone laying in their beds, sleeping soundly. Her breaths were quick and panicked, as she dried off the sweat from her forehead. The only sound echoing through the big room was the religious man from earlier. He was still mumbling the same prayer he had when she fell asleep. Ji-yeong swung her feet over the edge of the hard bed, considering what she was about to do. Standing up, she wiped the tear that had escaped her eye, while moving towards a specific girl's bed with as quiet steps as possible.

Sae-byeok was lying on her side, legs tucked up to her chest that was calmly heaving up and down. Ji-yeong felt bad for interrupting her sleep, but she, for the first time in her life, also felt the absolute need to be touched. It didn't need to be anything major. It could be a hug, a hand around her waist, even a single finger wrapped around her own, anything that involved Sae-byeok's skin in contact with her own.

She squatted down in front of the sleeping girl, finding herself only a couple inches from her face. "Sae-byeok," she heard her voice whisper hoarsely. Sae-byeok didn't wake up completely, only giving her a sleepy hum as an answer.

"Sae-byeok, please, wake up," Ji-yeong tried again, a hesitant hand carefully touching her cheek. It felt soft and warm against her icy fingertips.

Sae-byeok stretched her long body, her eyes still closed. "What is it, Ji-yeong?" Her voice didn't sound as cold and hard as it used to. Maybe she wasn't awake enough to control it yet.

"Umm," Ji-yeong cleared her throat, heart-pounding while thinking of how to formulate what she wanted to say. "Is there enough space for an extra person in your bed, maybe?"

The silence from Sae-byeok made her think she may have fallen asleep again. She was about to shake her shoulder, but then the, apparently awake, the girl grabbed her wrist in such a quick movement, pulling her down on the bed so she was next to her, all with her eyes closed and not one expression displayed on her stoic face. Ji-yeong was on eye level with her neck, her breath hitching, as she felt the freckled girl's hand caress her waist slowly all the way onto her back, where it stopped to pull her closer. The act of comfort made goosebumps appear on the shorter girl's entire body.

"Couldn't sleep?" Sae-byeok asked, moving her head so it was above Ji-yeong's.

The other girl didn't exactly know what to respond to that. "Well, yes- but.. no."

"Why are you breathing so quickly?" Sae-byeok asked, stroking her back with her hand. 

Ji-yeong's face converted into confusion, her eyebrows knitting together. "You can hear that?"

Sae-byeok moved her leg a bit, finding a more comfortable position before answering. "No, I can feel it on my neck."

"Oh!" Ji-yeong's cheeks turned a crimson color, as she moved her head, so her ear was pressed up against her neck instead of her nose. She soon found out, though, that that was not a very nice position for her neck. "I'm sorry," she hurried to apologize.

"It's alright," Sae-byeok shortly answered. Due to Ji-yeong lying so far down, she didn't see the small smile that crept onto the taller girl's face. "So, did something happen while you slept, or did you just feel the need to sleep in my bed?"

"I had a nightmare." Ji-yeong tried keeping her head in the uncomfortable position but ended up giving up and just trying her hardest not to breathe up against Sae-byeok's neck.